The present invention broadly relates to mote waste removal in carding machines or cards and, more specifically pertains to a new and improved mote knife arrangement for fitting to a flat of a carding machine or card.
Generally speaking, the mote knife arrangement of the present invention is of the type which is fitted or mounted to a flat of a card or carding machine in a position so as to extend substantially transversely with respect to a predetermined carding direction and wherein the mote knife or blade is disposed at an inclination so as to extend in a direction substantially opposite to the carding direction.
A known mote knife or blade comprises a solid relatively thick piece of steel, on one lengthwise side of which a knife edge is incorporated. On the opposite lengthwise side the mote knife or blade is structured to be very solid or massive and forms a fixing flange which is secured to the associated flat by bolted or screw connections.
Flats of this kind equipped with mote knives can be fitted, mainly as stationary flats, to various locations of a card or carding machine. For example, they may be situated immediately after the feed roll or roller beneath the licker-in and opposite the same, or in the pre-carding zone between the licker-in or taker-in and the revolving flat or flat top opposite the card or carding cylinder. It is also possible to dispose stationary flats of this kind between the revolving flat or flat top and the doffer roller located opposite the carding cylinder. In every position the known solid or massive mote knife requires a relatively large peripheral space where it extends around the associated body of rotation i.e. around the licker-in or carding cylinder. It would be preferable to have this space available for other purposes or, if there is a larger amount of space available, to make the diameter of the licker-in or of the carding cylinder smaller.
The manufacture of the solid or massive mote knife requires a corresponding constructional expenditure and is therefore generally uneconomical.